Background: Access to quality primary care is an important part of maintaining optimal health at the lowest cost. Nationally the number of patients with a primary care provider (PCP) is well below the stated national goal of Healthy People 2020, and the Utah range is lower still. Thus, a project was designed to promote primary care from Utah Valley InstaCare in Provo, Utah, with the following clinical question: Does urgent care staff education regarding interprofessional collaboration (IPC) and the importance of primary care increase the percentage of urgent care encounters in which primary care is discussed over six weeks? EBP Framework: This quality improvement project was guided by the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice and Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory. Methods: Project objectives include education of InstaCare regarding the importance of primary care and IPC, education of patients regarding the role of primary care, and increasing the number of InstaCare visits in which primary care follow up was discussed. Following IRB approval, Orchard’s AITCS-II survey of staff perception of IPC pre-intervention and a survey of attitudes regarding future practice post-intervention yielded qualitative data. PCP information forms filled out by staff and the number of patients without a PCP given information regarding local PCPs before and after intervention yielded quantitative data. Participants were a voluntary sample of staff from Utah Valley InstaCare, including physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Registered Nurses, Medical Assistants, Radiology Technicians, and Patient Service Representatives. Findings/Results: Peer-reviewed research has shown quality primary care decreases all-cause mortality, improves mental health care, reduces emergency department visits, and improves the overall health care experience. Effective IPC plays a role in these outcomes, including decreased hospitalizations, reduced geriatric mortality, and fewer medical errors. Project results indicated a healthy culture of IPC and a willingness to learn more about IPC and collaboration with primary care. Comparison of PCP forms before and after intervention revealed statistically significant changes. Data also indicate InstaCare procedures for PCP verification upon registration needs improvement. Conclusion/Recommendations: Periodic reinforcement of InstaCare processes and the importance of IPC and primary care are necessary. InstaCare staff has mandatory educational modules due quarterly, to which it is recommended the educational PowerPoint and a quiz be added. This would expand the reach of the intervention from the voluntary sample at Utah Valley InstaCare to all InstaCare locations throughout Utah.
